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Bolt
A bolt refers to the projectile hurled from a Coilgun. Bolts, as coilgun ammunition, come in many different varieties. The most proliferate bolts are the conventional sort: a solid molybdenum-carbide steel core encased in a tungsten shell. Rather than being small 'stubs' like a Firearm's bullet, bolts are long and narrow projectiles, often called flechettes. This gives more surface area for the coils (often called chargers) to act upon. The steel core allows this magnetism to take place, while the tungsten's properties allow it to have good perforation capabilities. The basic design of Coilgun bolts has not changed in thousands of years, as there really is only one way to make it work best. On the same token, most bolts made throughout the Galaxy are of uniform quality. Once the manufacturing capability is in place to produce them at all, it is quite difficult to get it wrong (as opposed to firearm bullets, which can be defective in many ways). Bolts vary in size from pistol-caliber flechettes to Starship-caliber heavy shells that can cause great destruction. All bolts are caseless, as there is no need for a separate cartridge to carry gunpowder. Besides the common bolt, there are numerous specialized types, which are: *'Toxin-tipped:' Mercury or another toxic substance which is liquid at room temperature is encased in a soft shell and hurled at the enemy by means of a typical bolt. The wounds this ammunition causes are grievous and difficult to treat, even with advanced medical technology, and can have long-term effects even when treated. Generally gets phased out, if ever implemented at all, by corrosive ammo. *'Gallium-tipped:' Gallium-tipped ammunition has the ability to react with most conventional Heavy Armour and over time make it brittle and degrade in quality and protective ability. With this ammo even small arms can pose a threat to a vehicle in wars of attrition. *'Corrosive:' A less specialized version of the last two, able to inflict serious burn wounds while also causing heavy damage to Infantry body armour and vehicle armour. *'Neutronium ammunition:' Rather than Tungsten, one could use neutronium, the densest element in the universe. Due to the energy-expensive process of Matter Compression, however, neutronium ammunition is relatively rare and usually cannot be mass-produced. Few nations can afford to stockpile it in high number, and it is typically acquired through trade with the Despertun. However, a neutronium bolt hurled at hypersonic speed has the greatest ability to pierce armour. The only effective defense is tachyon fields or neutronium armour. That said, its greater weight means that infantry soldiers generally cannot carry nearly as much of it. *'Shieldbreaker:' High-velocity bolts wrapped in copper coils, Shieldbreaker ammo is used to overexert Tachyon Field defense systems by striking with so much energy that it stresses the power network and computer systems responsible for maintaining the shield. On rare occasion they have been known to go right through an already-weakened tachyon field, but more often they can cause the shield to shut down (after extensive repeated bombardment). While the most straight-forward way of laying siege to a shielded city, it is not necessarily the best. *'Shipcracker:' Shipcracker ammo is probably canon, but I have to make a decision whether Buoyancy Fluid is water or that breathable fluid carbon stuff. *'Mercy:' Slower bolts made of softer and lighter materials, typically used as blanks for training or non-lethal riot control. Still can cause serious injury or even death under the right (wrong?) circumstances. Category:Technology